Stamp severing and feeding mechanism.



I. C. WOODWARD. STAMP SEVERING AND FEEDING Ml-ICHANISIIL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10. 19l5.'

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

a SHEETS-SHEET l.

I. C. WOODWARD. STAMP SEVER ING AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10 I915.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. C. WOODWARD. STAMP SEVERING AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10. 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W M M E Pa-tented Aug. 28, 1917.

IRVING C. WOOIDWABD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STAMP SEVERIN G AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Application filed November 10, 1915. Serial No. 60,662.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVING C. WVooDWARD, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a. resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StampSevering and Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a strip feeding and severing mechanism for usein mailing machines, ticket-issuing machines, cash registers, etc.

The main object of the invention is to provide in such machines improvedmechanism for insuring the accurate separation of strips of stamps,etc., along scored, perforated or otherwise weakened lines in the strip.

Mailing machines are sometimes provided with fingers for engagingperforations on the strip and then drawing the same forwardly therequired distance. A slight lateral displacement of the strip makes suchmechanism very unreliable and may result in failure to properly feed thestrip, or the destruction of a considerable number of stamps before themachine may be stopped. Strip feeding devices comprising rollers orlongitudinally reciprocating grippers are unreliable since any slightinaccuracy of ad justment of the same is likely to be multiplied as thestrip is fed along and expansion or contraction of the strips underchanges in moisture or temperature conditions results in the stripgetting out of registry with the feeding mechanism.

In machines such as cash registers where it is often desirable to employpreviously printed strips, it is necessary to provide printing devicesin the machine for printing the strips as issued, since there is noknown reliable strip-feeding mechanism which would insure an exact,predetermined feed of the strip upon each operation of the machine.

The present invention provides means for taking advantage of the greaterweakness of the strip at points where it is to be severed for insuringaccurate feeding of the strip.-

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation the improved mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the device when in normalposition.

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section with the feeding and separatingblade moved rearward as occurs during an operation of the device.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the device as itappears when a stamp or ticket is being delivered.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view in plan taken on the line AA of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail taken on the line BB of Fig. 6.

I11 the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings the supportingframe 1 is provided at its upper end with a bracket 2 carrying aremovable rod 3 which serves as a magazine for supporting a roll ofstamps or tickets 4. A bracket 5 also supported by frame 1 is shownhaving hinged thereto at its outer end 6 an oscillating guide member 7for the strip of stamps or tickets 8. A link 9 bent into a U or Vformation is pivoted at its ends 10 to guide 7, and its central portion11 rests on a reciprocating slide or ticket separator 12. A spring 13extended between an eye 14 on guide 7 and an eye 15 on frame 1 normallyurges the guide member rearward. The separator blade 12 carries a book16 for engaging the bent portion 11 of link 9 during the forward motionof blade 12, causing the guide 7 to rock forwardly against the action ofspring 13 during the forward motion of blade 12. Blade 12 is guided inits reciprocating motion in ways 17 formed in the side members 18 offrame 1. It is reciprocated by means of an eccentric 19 fast to driveshaft 20 and acting upon a pitman 21 which is pivo'tally connected atits forward end 22 to blade 12. Shaft 20 is shown provided with anoperating crank handle 21.1 although in usual uses of the device inconnection with mailing or ticket-issuing ma chines and cash registers,shaft 20 would be driven by power in certain definite relationship withother power driven mechanisms of such machines.

Blade 12 is shown in its normal position in Fig. 3, holding the stamp orticket guide 7 forwardly of a fixed horizontally disposed plate Thisplate is located immediately above ways 17 and may be formed integrallywith bracket 5 which is secured to frame 1.

Spaced below the forward edge 23 of plate 22.1 is a bar 2% supported atits ends by the side members 18 of frame 1. The stamp or ticket at thefree end of strip 8 normally hangs between the cutting edge 25 of blade12 and the forward edge of plate 22.1.

During the rearward motion of blade 12 guide 7 rocks rearwardly underthe action of spring 13 until it comes to rest against the edge 23 ofplate 22.1. When the parts are in this position, during the normaloperation of the machine, a row of perforations or a score in the strip8 will lie somewhere bet-ween plate 22.1 and bar 24. The furtherrearward motion of blade 12 now causes the strip 8 to be bent backwardlyand to be pushed between edge 23 and bar 2st. On account of the factthat the shoulder pro vided by the plate 22.1 is closer to the blade 12than the shoulder provided by the bar 2 1, the former offers moreresistance to the strip than the latter and consequently the strip drawsaround the blade as it is pushed along until the weakened portion of thestrip is centered with respect to edge 25 of the blade, when on accountof its weakness the strip bends to a sharp angle over the edge of theblade and is then pulled through guide 7 without any further slipping onthe blade. The edge of plate 22.1 is slightly rounded so that theweakened part of the strip will draw around it more readily than aroundthe edge of the blade 12. As the rearward edge of blade 12 passesbetween plate 22.1 and a roller 26 rotatably mounted below the plate22.1, the strip is bent backwardly upon itself still more sharply alongthe weakened line thereof, and is cut or broken at this line as theseparator passes through a horizontal slot 27 in frame 1. The upper edgeof this slot may constitute a shear-knife coacting with the edge 25 ofblade 12, although the device would still operate for correctly breakingthe strip along the perforated lines if the edges of slot 27 and edge 25of the blade were dull, since the movement of the strip 7 and the stampor ticket which is to be severed from the strip is restrained by plate22.1 and roller 26.

Shaft 20 preferably carries fast a mutilated gear 28 which engages theintermediate gear 29 when blade 12 is practically at rest in itsrearmost position, as appears ticket out of the machine through slot 27.

The extent of advance of the strip 8 under the action of slide orseparator blade 12 is sufficient to bring the next scored or perforatedline of the strip between the edge 23 of plate 22.1 and bar 24, and thedevice operates with certainty in so positioning a perforated orweakened line of a strip. In the operation of the device, assuming thatshaft 20 is continuously rotated, the ac tion of eccentric 19 results inreciprocation of the slide or separator blade 12 and a similarreciprocation or oscillation of the strip guide 7, since the latter isnormally urged in one direction by spring 13 and is driven in theopposite direction against the action of said spring by its linkconnection with blade 12. Since, after any severing operation of thedevice, the strip 8 normally lies in the pm sition shown in Fig. 3 witha weakened line of the strip between the guide edge 23 and bar 2 1, therearward motion of blade 12 results in the weakened portion of the stripbeing centered with respect to the cutting or severing edge 25 of blade12. The strip is then dragged or fed rearward between the plate 22.1 androller 26 by action of blade 12. The ticket or stamp to be severed isthus folded back upon the strip and is finally broken or out along thefolded and weakened line when forced through the slot 2?. Furtherrotation of shaft 20 when the blade 12 is in its rearmost position andthe eccentric 19 is passing dead center, results in the mutilated gear28 driving roller 26 and thus feeding t 1e stamp or ticket out of themachine. lVhile the strip runs over the abrupt shoulder 23 the gum onthe same is somewhat cracked whereby it will be in condition to permitmoisture to readily soak through the gum on being moistened.

From the foregoing it may be seen that the present invention fullyaccomplishes a much desired result in a wide variety of machines, suchas receipting mechanisms wherein it is desirable to have some matterpreprinted on the receipt, ticket machines, mailing machines, etc. Thesevering mechanism operates accurately, regardless of slightimperfections of feed if other frictional feeding devices are providedfor the strip than the one shown in the drawings. It may also be seenthat contraction or elongation of the strip will not affect the accuracyof the present mechanism.

It may be noted that a number of changes may be made in various parts ofthis machine without departing from the principle of the invention; forinstance, guide 7 may have a reciprocatin motion instead of anoscillating motion. Also separator 12 may oscillate around a pivotalpoint instead of reciprocating in one plane as shown,

The device as shown in the drawings will operate with equal efficiencyin any position, that is, any side of the same may be the top.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for separating the individual portions of a strip subdividedby transverse lines of weakness, comprising means for guiding the stripalong a certain path, a blade at one side of said path and lying in aplane transverse to that of the strip and substantially parallel withthe lines of weakness thereof, and a pair of shoulders located at theopposite side of said path and cooperating with said blade for causingthe strip to be bent and forced toward one side between said shoulders,whereby said blade may be caused to register with a line of weakness insaid strip.

2. A device for separating the individual portions of a strip subdividedby transverse lines of weakness, comprising means for guiding the stripalong a certain path, a blade at one side of said path and lying in aplane transverse to that of the strip and substantially parallel withthe lines of weakness thereof, a pair of shoulders located at theopposite side of said path and cooperating with said blade for causingthe strip to be bent and forced toward one side between said shoulders,whereby said blade may be caused to register with a line of weakness insaid strip, and means cooperating with said blade for breaking saidstrip along such line of weakness.

3. A device for separating the individual portions of a strip subdividedby equally spaced transverse lines of weakness, comprising means forguiding the strip along a certain path, a blade at one side of said pathand lying in a plane transverse to that of the strip and substantiallyparallel with the lines of weakness thereof, a pair of shoulders locatedat the opposite side of said path and cooperating with said blade forcausing the strip to be bent and forced toward one side between saidshoulders, where by said blade may be caused to register with a line ofweakness in said strip, and a cutter cooperating with said blade forsevering said strip. said cutter being spaced beyond said shoulders adistance slightly greater than the spacing of the lines of weakness insaid strip whereby the movement of said blade will operate to accuratelyfeed said strip.

4. A device for separating the individual portions of a strip subdividedby transverse lines of weakness, comprising means for guiding the stripalong a certain path, a blade at one side of said path and lying in aplane transverse to that of the strip and substantially parallel withthe lines of weakness thereof, and a pair of shoulders located at theopposite side of said path and cooperating with said blade for causingthe strip to be bent and forced toward one side between said shoulders,said blade being located nearer to one of said shoulders than to theother, whereby the part of the strip at one side of said blade will berestrained so as to cause said strip to draw over said blade to bring aweakened line in said strip into registry with said blade.

A device for separating the individual portions of a strip subdivided bytransverse lines of weakness, comprising a pair of spaced parallel guideshoulders, means for supporting a strip of paper across one side of saidguide shoulders, a blade movable transversely to said strip for bendingthe same between said members, means for unequally resisting a movementof the parts of said strip which are at opposite sides of said bladewhereby a weakened line on said strip will be caused to register withsaid blade, and means cooperating with said blade for severing saidstrip on such weakened line.

6. A device for separating the individual portions of a strip subdividedby equally spaced transverse lines of weakness, comprising a magazinefor supporting the strip of material, a guide for the free end of saidstrip comprising a member pivotally mounted at its end which is adjacentto said magazine, a stop for limiting the movement of the other end ofsaid guide in one direction, a second guide located beyond said otherend of said first guide when the latter is engaged with said stop, ablade movable transversely to said strip adjacent to the free end ofsaid pivoted guide and adapted to buckle said strip between said pivotedguide and said second guide, means at one side of said blade wherebygreater resistanceis offered to the movement of said strip at such sideof said strip than at the other, whereby said blade will be caused toregister with a line of weakness in said strip between said guides,means cooperating with said blade for severing said strip along suchline of weakness, said last named means being located at a distance fromsaid guides whereby the movement of said blade between said guides willbe caused to successively advance said strip by stages substantially toor greater than the distance between the lines of weakness therein, andmeans for swinging said pivoted guide for withdrawing the end of saidstrip from the space between said guides during the return movements ofsaid blade.

7. A device for separating the individual portions of a strip subdividedby transverse lines of weakness, comprising a support and movableguiding means for the strip, a stationary shoulder, means for impartinga reciprocatory motion to said guiding means with respect to saidshoulder for the purpose of positioning the free end of the strip infront of said shoulder, and means operating to bend the strip betweensaid guiding means and said shoulder for the purpose of feeding thestrip and severing the strip on weakened lines thereof.

8. A de ice of the class described, comprising a support and guidingmeans for a paper strip, a fixed shoulder, means for imparting areciprocatory motion to said guiding means with respect to saidshoulder, and a strip feeding device operating to intermittently engagethe strip and bend the same transversely between said guiding means andfixed shoulder.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a support and guidingmeans for a paper strip, a fixed shoulder, means for imparting areciprocatory motion to said guiding means with respect to saidshoulder, a strip feeding device operating to intermittently engage thestrip and bend the same transversely between said guiding means andfixed shoulder, and means cooperating with said feeding device forsevering the strip at such bend.

Signed at Chicago this 8th day of Nov. 1915.

IRVING G. XVOODVVARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

